Doug McIntyre: Kevin James pays his pound of flesh

It was painful to watch, painful to hear, and it's painful to write about.

A pound of flesh was demanded and paid in full last Tuesday by former radio talk show host and mayoral candidate Kevin James.

By an 11-0 vote the L.A. City Council confirmed James to the Board of Public Works to serve alongside Mayor Eric Garcetti's other board appointees, Matt Szabo, Barbara Romero, Mike Davis and Monica Rodriguez. Kevin was then quickly chosen by his new colleagues to serve as president.

"To the victors go the spoils" is a long and venerated political tradition and Kevin James certainly earned his reward by playing a vital -- many believe determinant -- role in Garcetti's victory over Wendy Greuel last May.

Kevin not only landed the most effective jabs at Greuel during the seemingly endless debates, his post-primary endorsement of Garcetti and enthusiastic stumping helped swing enough Valley votes into the Garcetti column to push Eric across the finish line.

By any standard Garcetti owed Kevin something and that something turned out to be the top position on the city's only full-salaried commission, a $134,000 a year plum.

That isn't the painful part.

The pain came prior to the confirmation vote during James' often obsequious and cringe-inducing responses to the council's condescending and sanctimonious questions on subjects a galaxy removed from the Board of Public Works' bailiwick of filling potholes and paving streets.

Council members Gil Cedillo, Jose Huizar and Paul Krekorian zeroed in on James' talk radio career at KRLA AM 870 and KABC AM 790 where he voiced skepticism about global warming and was a passionate and exceptionally well-informed opponent of illegal immigration and L.A.'s sanctuary policies, specifically the LAPD's Special Order 40.

"In that career (the point is) to create controversy, to get a response," James explained to Krekorian when asked about a 2008 TownHall.com piece authored by James critical of climate fear-mongering.

I'm sure more than a few James voters and former listeners were shocked to learn that Kevin was not always telling us what he really believed rather what he hoped would generate "controversy" and provoke a "response."

I've been in the radio racket for nearly 20 years. I have known talk show hosts who were 100 percent phonies; frauds who would say whatever they believed would generate ratings. Kevin was not one of them.

First as a colleague, then as a competitor, Kevin James earned the respect of his audience and co-workers for the intelligence and passion he brought to the fight for secure borders and an end to L.A.'s sanctuary city policies.

Last Tuesday we learned he believes otherwise.

"There are people who have so much to offer this country and for no good reason we put up too many barriers to get in their way," James told Cedillo, as if anyone was talking about H1-B visas for foreign engineers and doctors.

Many, including this columnist, have changed positions over the years. But Kevin's evolution from anti-amnesty warrior to non-partisan agent for "positive change" -- aka the Spring Street party line -- reeks of appeasement.

But his flip-flop pales in light of the hypocrisy of a City Hall culture that lectures endlessly about tolerance and diversity yet continues to demonstrate intolerance for any point-of-view that deviates from the PC script: border enforcement before amnesty equals racist/xenophobe.

Kevin James earned his place on the Board of Public Works by working hard to elect Mayor Garcetti. I just wish it hadn't been so hard to watch him claim his prize.

Doug McIntyre's column appears Wednesdays and Sundays. You can reach him at Doug@KABC.com.